Dummy Knows Best

Forget reality TV – mannequin comedy is all the rage in Japan. The late-night show Oh! Mikey (www.fuccon.com) follows the misadventures of the Fuccons, a stereotypical American family living in Tokyo. The stars of this sitcom are entirely plastic – as in meticulously posed, injection-molded models. "I wanted to re-create that retro family feeling of Bewitched in a short drama still life," says director Yoshimasa Ishibashi. "Using real people would make it just another TV parody." Ishibashi twists adultery, childhood antics, and a mother's perfectionism into a perverse and riotous story line. In Asia, the hit show has spawned a cafe and tons of merchandise. In the states, the 39 English-subtitled episodes are available on DVD.

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